One of the things I have noticed most often in tango is how difficult it can be to truly listen. Many times, we are already thinking about the next step before we have even finished the current one.
When we first start dancing, this is completely normal. We are focused on the steps, trying to remember sequences, trying not to make mistakes. There is already so much happening in our minds that it can be difficult to pay attention to anything else. The problem is that when we become too focused on the steps, we disconnect from everything around us. Sometimes we even disconnect from ourselves.
That is why I always say: “connection first, steps second”. Or at least, try to develop both at the same time.
I remember experiencing this very clearly as a follower. Over time, my body developed a memory for certain movements. Sometimes, as soon as I felt the beginning of a lead, I already knew what was probably coming next. And instead of waiting, listening and allowing the movement to unfold, I would anticipate it.
I would arrive before the music. Before my partner. Before the moment.
At first, I thought anticipation was helping me dance better. In reality, it was taking something away. Because when we already know what is coming, we stop discovering. And tango, at its heart, is a dance of discovery.
I have also felt the same thing from leaders. Sometimes a sequence begins before the previous one has fully finished. Before my weight has arrived. Before there is enough time to breathe inside the movement. Nothing is technically wrong, but something feels missing. The conversation becomes shorter. The listening becomes quieter. The surprise disappears.
Over the years, I started noticing that anticipation often comes from the same place: we want to feel safe. We want certainty. We want to know what is coming next. And honestly, I think we all go through this at some point. It is already difficult to connect with ourselves. Imagine how difficult it can be to connect with another person.
For me, music became an anchor. Whenever I noticed myself rushing ahead, the music brought me back to the present moment. Not because it told me exactly what to do, but because it reminded me to listen.
And listening changes everything. Movement becomes lighter. Pauses become more natural. Connection becomes deeper. The music feels more alive. And little by little, improvisation begins to replace memory.
Listening creates possibilities. The possibility of surprise. And I think that is one of the most beautiful things about tango. Because anticipation often tries to protect us from uncertainty, but sometimes uncertainty is exactly where the magic lives.
Tango is not really about knowing what comes next. It is about discovering. It is about responding. It is about having a conversation without words. A conversation made of movement, music and connection.
Perhaps listening in tango is not only about paying attention to the music. Perhaps it is allowing yourself to stay present long enough for something real to happen.
Un abrazo de tango,
Cami